Finances of Sankofa charter under investigation

The recently revoked Sankofa Academy Charter School, long the subject of financial scrutiny from the West Chester Area School District, is now facing a criminal investigation as well, according to a search warrant filed at district court last month.

Sankofa Academy's charter officially expired on June 20 after it was revoked by the West Chester Area School Board in April.

Three days after the charter expired, on June 23, the West Chester Police Department filed for the search warrant at district court.

The warrant authorized borough detectives to examine five of Sankofa Academy's bank accounts. According to an affidavit attached to the warrant, the investigation began after Sankofa Chairman Frederick Franklin went to police and accused school founder and CEO Lamont McKim of using school funds for personal uses.

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Franklin told investigators that for the past several years McKim has failed to provide financial reports to the school's own board and the school district, according to the affidavit. Franklin also told investigators that McKim has not provided the school district with documentation regarding Sankofa's operating and employee retirement funds.

The school also appears to have had issues paying the $4,000 monthly rent for its building in the 400 block of West Gay Street, according to court records. Franklin told investigators that while he and other board members were looking into the school's finances, they learned that their landlord, AKT Gasho Group, was owed $21,000 in back rent, according to the search warrant.

In May, Magisterial District Judge Harry Farmer ruled the Sankofa Academy must pay the Gasho group $12,174.60 in unpaid rent in a civil landlord/tenant case, according to court records. It was unclear whether any payments were paid following the ruling.

Franklin also told borough detectives that school teachers had noticed that funds were not paid into their Public School Employees Retirement System accounts, according to the affidavit. When Franklin and other board members examined the school's bank records, they discovered numerous questionable transfers, the affidavit said.

Investigators were told that McKim, the school's CEO and finance director, was the sole official with check writing authority at the school, according to the document.

Franklin declined to comment on the pending investigation last week in a telephone conversation with the Daily Local News.

“It's an ongoing investigation and I'm not at liberty to talk about it at all,” said Franklin.

McKim did not return calls for comment.

In 2010 the West Chester Area School District renewed Sankofa Academy's charter despite concerns over the school's financial practices.

In a March 2010 letter addressed to McKim and signed by superintendent James Scanlon, the district agreed to the charter's renewal with stipulations that Sankofa would provide quarterly financial and academic reports.

The renewal was scheduled to extend through June of 2015, but earlier this year the school district revoked the Sankofa Academy's charter over concerns about the school's finances.

At a March hearing held to discuss the possibility of revoking Sankofa's charter, district officials testified that the school had not complied with the stipulations agreed to at the time of the 2010 renewal.

At the same hearing, McKim pleaded for more time to bring the school back into financial compliance, but about one month later the district's school board voted to revoke Sankofa Academy's charter.

District officials have said that while there were concerns about the school's finances as far back as 2010, the charter was renewed.

“We didn't have enough to revoke their charter at that time, but we wanted to check on them closely,” said Superintendent James Scanlon in an interview Thursday. “We had concerns about them operating.”

None of the promised reports were provided following the district's renewal of the charter, said Scanlon. That, coupled with the fact the district could not get ahold of officials at the school, worried WCASD, he said.

“We could not get any return phone calls or responses to written communications,” Scanlon said.

The lack of communication and documentation, as well as rising concerns about finances and academic performance, ultimately led to the charter's revocation.

“The only time we heard from Lamont McKim was when we sent out the notice of our hearing to revoke their charter, where he asked for more time,” said Scanlon. “But we could not give the school any more time.”

Scanlon said that the WCASD became increasingly concerned about the state of the school last summer after it received an unpaid bill from a textbook distributor.

The district was also informed that it was responsible for more than $54,000 worth of payments in the Public School Employees' Retirement System that Sankofa did not pay.

To help make up for that difference, Scanlon said that the district withheld tuition payments for the two students from the West Chester area who attend the school, totaling around $20,000. Sankofa still owes WCASD the remainder of the money for the PSERS payments.

“Part of them closing is that they need to reimburse their creditors, including us,” said Scanlon, adding, though, that the district “doesn't expect to see any money.”

One source close to the school told the Daily Local News that the teachers at Sankofa are due thousands of dollars in pay for the work they completed the past school year. According the source, the three certified teachers who taught at Sankofa are still owed up to $10,000 each.

“The three teachers worked the 10 months and spread out their pay over the year. But they're not getting paid,” the source, who asked to remain anonymous citing concerns about future employment, said. “It's not fair.”

A few days after the school closed June 20, the teachers were allegedly told that they were not getting paid for snow days — despite making up the missed days later in the year — and that they weren't going to receive their paychecks they were owed.

According to the source, employees at the school were informed by the board that there was no money left in the school's bank accounts, and that McKim could not be found.

“He's disappeared, and there's no money,” the source said. “Everything is in disarray.”

The source said that the teachers at Sankofa received their last paycheck June 18. The source said other employees at the school — who did not choose to spread their salary out over the entire year — have been paid.

Those who were missing paychecks went to the school's board for some help, but the source said that the board “is not being supportive” about the matter.

“There is very poor communication,” the source said. “The board's at fault for keeping its head in the sand.”

“I am just devastated that teachers who have worked so hard this past school year are owed money for work already completed,” they added. “The teachers were the ones at the school every day. LaMont showed no support throughout the school year.”

On Friday West Chester Police Chief Scott Bohn confirmed the existence of the investigation but said he was unable to discuss its details.

“We need to evaluate all of the documentation and move forward. We have received a complaint and the matter is under review and or investigation,” Bohn said.

No charges have been filed.Follow staff writer Michael N. Price on Twitter @MikePriceWrites and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/michaelnprice.

Follow staff writer Kendal Gapinski on Twitter at @KendalGapinski and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KendalAGapinski.

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About the Authors

Michael N. Price is the Daily Local News' police reporter who covers crime and breaking news. A Chester County native, Price graduated from Temple University in 2009. Reach the author at mprice@dailylocal.com
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